NAMANGA, Kenya — They haul food, fuel and other essential supplies along sometimes dangerous roads during tough economic times. But Africa's long-distance truckers say they are increasingly being accused of carrying something else: the coronavirus. While hundreds of truckers have tested positive for the virus in recent weeks, the drivers say they are being stigmatized and treated like criminals, being detained by governments and slowing cargo traffic to a crawl. That has created a challenge for governments in much of sub-Saharan Africa, where many borders remain closed by the pandemic, on how to strike a balance between contagion and commerce. Countries are struggling to reach common ground. “When I entered Tanzania, in every town that I would drive through, they would call me, ’You, corona, get away from here with your corona!’” said Abdulkarim Rajab, a burly Kenyan who has been driving trucks for 17 years and recalls when drivers were being accused of spreading HIV during that outbreak. Rajab and his load of liquefied gas spent three days at the Kenya-Tanzania border, where the line of trucks waiting to be cleared stretched into the distance and wound around the lush hills overlooking the crossing at Namanga. Tanzania closed the border there this week, protesting Kenya's efforts to re-test all incoming truckers, including those who even had certificates showing they had been tested in the previous 14 days. It was the second time the frontier was closed in less than a month and was taken after many Tanzanian truckers with...

TWO weeks after Tanzanian and Kenyan leaders agreed on modalities for enabling truck drivers cross at border posts, Kenyan authorities have started blocking Tanzanian truckers from crossing Namanga frontier on grounds of lacking valid Covid-19 clearance certificates. Responding in kind, Tanzania has also started restricting Kenyan truckers from accessing the country. The government confirmed yesterday that Kenya is blocking Tanzanian truck drivers from crossing the Namanga One Stop Border Post (OSBP) claiming that they don't have valid certificates that show that they have tested negative for Covid-19. The development is contrary to the agreement reached in Arusha by transport ministers of the two countries at the climax of their one-day meeting at the Namanga border post on May 22, this year. Speaking to the 'Daily News', Deputy Minister for Works, Transport and Communication Eng Atashasta Nditiye, said the move by the Kenyan side was a breach of the agreement and could trigger another dispute. "Our counterparts are claiming that they don't trust Tanzanian's certificates and laboratories, but this wasn't part of our agreement," he told this paper in a telephone interview. He said the move might lead to the revival of the dispute that had been resolved and cause unnecessary inconveniences. " We learnt about these challenges facing Tanzanian truck drivers since yesterday (Wednesday), what is happening is contrary to the agreement reached by the responsible ministers, they have breached the resolutions," he said in a nutshell. On his part, Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elders and Children,...

The COVID-19 pandemic has renewed calls for African states to prioritise both domestic production and regional integration. East Africa’s experience over the last decade suggests that tensions exist between these ambitions. To enact the ‘Made in Africa’ agenda across the continent, economic nationalism might need a rethink alongside greater dialogue between states. As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has begun to be felt across Africa, debates on how the continent coordinates a response have quite naturally focussed upon the most immediate and pressing issues. Should Africa follow other countries’ lead and impose lockdowns to contain the virus? Can Africa’s under-resourced healthcare systems cope with a widespread outbreak? How does Africa’s policy community respond to the impending economic fallout that will inevitably hit the continent? Within the midst of these debates, others have also begun to consider Africa’s post-pandemic future and, in particular, its place within the global economy. For political leaders, business executives and policy experts alike, the COVID-19 outbreak has exposed the vulnerability of many African economies and their dependency upon global supply chains, which have been severely disrupted during the pandemic. Regional production networks Accordingly, it has been argued that African economies urgently need to begin developing their own industrial capacities and prioritising regional (rather than global) production networks. The justification behind this ‘Made in Africa’ agenda is that a combination of domestic industrial capacity and shorter supply chains will make African economies much more resilient against future exogenous shocks. The added bonus is that it would...

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa) Nairobi — The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is still the agreement with great potential to foster regional economic integration and economic growth, and take Africa to the next level, even in the midst of a crippling coronavirus crisis, panellists on a COVID-19 Recovery Mechanism and AfCFTA webinar agreed Thursday. The panelists agreed the AfCFTA was a crucial move towards removing the continent's heavy reliance on commodity and agricultural exports leading to exponential growth in the manufacturing sector, export diversification and creation of quality jobs if its full potential to be transformational for all Africans is tapped. Regional Integration Division Director at the Economic Commission for Africa, Mr. Stephen Karingi, in his remarks said a lot of empirical work had been done by ECA showing what the AfCFTA means for Africa. "One of the things we have been able to demonstrate empirically is that the AfCFTA has the potential to deepen not only the regional integration of the continent but also to allow us to do more value addition in our production processes," he said. This, added Mr. Karingi, presents an opportunity not only to create economic resilience but also create quality and more valuable jobs compared to jobs that are not based on industry. "We know what the AfCFTA means for this continent. COVID-19 has exposed that had we implemented the AfCFTA earlier, we would be in a better position than we are now," he said, adding the ECA's analytical...

The tourism sector in Kenya is working on four protocols that will ensure a safe reopening and maximum impact of the $56 million stimulus package injected by the government. The protocols will involve hotels, tour guide companies, airlines and the standard gauge railway, and are expected to be ready before the end of cessation of movement on Nairobi and Mombasa and curfew in June. Players in the sector are upbeat after President Uhuru Kenyatta hinted at a likelihood of relaxing containment measures in his address to the country. Kenya Tourism Federation chairman Mohammed Hersi said the hotel protocols has already been developed, and it directs how guests will be checked in, hotel sitting arrangements, interaction with guests and also how fumigation will be conducted on to keep premises infection-free. Mr Hersi said the other three protocols are expected to be complete in the next few days to give direction on transfer of guests to and from airport and railway stations and how to interact with them. FACILITY RENOVATIONS “We ask everyone to abide by the protocols. We do not expect things to be normal but we also want to receive healthy visitors, remain disease-free and that they leave the country safe. Some of the measures will reduce the number of visitors handled each time. For instance, in the tour guide protocol, the number of passengers boarding vehicles will be reduced and no passenger will be allowed at the front seat,” said Mr Hersi. The KTF chairman said different airports and...

Of all the legacies of colonialism, one of those which has most hampered economic growth and the alleviation of poverty is fragmentation – neighbours with different currencies, regulations enabling trade with Europe but not with other Africans, and a neglect of intra-African transport and infrastructure links to facilitate this trade. In good times, with Europe accounting for around 30% of African trade, there has been little appetite to upset the status quo. In times of economic unease, African nations, like many around the world, have tended to withdraw into themselves rather than pursue broader trading options. Repeating this pattern for a generation, African nations have historically ceded economic power to external actors, remaining price-takers and struggling to develop their own solutions at times of crisis. Change is in the air A confluence of factors is lining up to shift Africa from the old way of doing things and drive the continent towards greater prosperity and resilience. The rise of China as an economic force and major partner (19% of Africa’s trade) has given African leaders experience in opening new trade routes and the benefits this brings. At the same time, regional trading blocs like SADC, EAC, COMESA or ECOWAS have grown in strength as countries became more adept at spotting gaps in their neighbors’ markets and adjusting areas of specialization to meet demand. Building on a decade long trajectory towards greater continental integration and more diverse trading relations, the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area (‘AfCFTA’) now has the capacity to...

The African Import-Export Bank (Afreximbank) and International Trade Centre (ITC) team up to help businesses make the most of the African Continental Free Trade Area (Cairo/Geneva) − Afreximbank is teaming up with ITC to train small business owners and young entrepreneurs in Africa to trade with other African countries as part of the new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The training programme, How to Export within the AfCFTA, is being launched as the new free-trade area comes on stream and amid the economic strain of climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. The training will give business owners the knowledge and skills they need to engage effectively in cross-border trade under terms of the emerging free-trade area for Africa. Intra-African trade is structurally low at 15% (compared to Europe at nearly 70%, for example), and the AfCFTA will open a market of 1.2 billion people. 'Against the backdrop of the current COVID-19 health and economic crisis, African micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) need support to take full advantage of the continental market,' ITC acting Executive Director Dorothy Tembo said. 'Through this partnership, African businesses will have the opportunity to learn, plan and succeed in growing their business by taking full advantage of the AfCFTA.' Kanayo Awani, Managing Director of Afreximbank's Intra-African Trade Initiative, said that the initiative was necessary because promoting intra-African trade through increased exports of goods and services by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) was the cornerstone of the AFCFTA. It signals an optimal strategy to aid businesses...

Kenya’s trading value with eternal trading partners declined by Ksh.39 billion in April as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic took root in the country. Total trading in the period fell to Ksh.163 billion from Ksh.202.2 billion in March bringing the cumulative value of trade in four months to Ksh.768.7 billion from Ksh.779.3 billion over a similar period in 2019. According to the data by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenyan exports were the worst hit by the declining trade shedding off Ksh.21.3 billion in the month in comparison to imports which declined by a lesser sum of Ksh. 18billion. Cumulative exports in the year to April were however on the rise peaking at Ksh. 221.9billion from Ksh. 205.7billion in the first four months of 2019. Total imports in the year to date were meanwhile down at Ksh.546.8 billion from Ksh.573.6 billion last year. The declining trade mirrors the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which has seen wide spread disruptions to global value chains from resulting virus containment measures. Kenya’s major export destinations registered a mixed bag of outcomes in the period. Exports to Uganda for instance declined to Ksh. 2.3billion in April from Ksh. 5.3billion in March while exports to the United Kingdom grew marginally to Ksh. 4.4billion from Ksh. 4.3billion in March. Similarly, imports were mixed with orders from China recovering to Ksh. 21billion from Ksh. 16.2billion in March while imports from India fell by half to Ksh. 11.7billion from Ksh. 21.3billion. The declining trade was visible in...

The Economic Commission for Africa has reported that between 300,000 and 3.3 million people on the continent could lose their lives to COVID-19. It has the opportunity to implement systems to support its nations through coronavirus, and into the future. These include free trade, regional value chains and infrastructure investment. The African Continental Free Trade Area was launched two years ago at an African Union (AU) summit in Kigali. It was scheduled to be implemented from 1 July 2020. But this has been pushed out until 2021 because of the impact of COVID-19 and the need for leaders to focus on saving lives. Studies by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and others state that the free trade area has the potential to increase growth, raise welfare and stimulate industrial development on the continent. But there are concerns. Some countries, particularly smaller and more vulnerable states, could be hurt. For example, they could suffer revenue losses and other negative effects from premature liberalisation. The impact of COVID-19 will only worsen these structural weaknesses. The Economic Commission for Africa has reported that between 300,000 and 3.3 million people could lose their lives if appropriate measures are not taken. There are several reasons for this level of high risk. These include the fact that 56% of urban dwellings are in overcrowded slums, 71% of Africa’s workforce is informally employed and cannot work from home and 40% of children on the continent are undernourished. Free Trade has the potential to increase growth and...

  | FAIZEL ISMAIL | The African Continental Free Trade Area was launched two years ago at an African Union (AU) summit in Kigali. It was scheduled to be implemented from July 1, 2020. But this has been pushed out until 2021 because of the impact of COVID-19 and the need for leaders to focus on saving lives. Studies by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and others state that the free trade area has the potential to increase growth, raise welfare and stimulate industrial development on the continent. But there are concerns. Some countries, particularly smaller and more vulnerable states, could be hurt. For example, they could suffer revenue losses and other negative effects from premature liberalisation. The impact of COVID-19 will only worsen these structural weaknesses. The Economic Commission for Africa has reported that between 300,000 and 3.3 million people could lose their lives if appropriate measures are not taken. There are several reasons for this level of high risk. These include the fact that 56% of urban dwellings are in overcrowded slums, 71% of Africa’s workforce is informally employed and cannot work from home and 40% of children on the continent are undernourished. Africa is also more vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19 because it is highly dependent on imports for its medicinal and pharmaceutical products and on commodity exports. The latter include oil, which has suffered a severe collapse in price. Other contributing factors are high public debt due to higher...